The same apparatuses, same mats, yet different appearances, what’s the catch behind the different gymnastics uniforms? Let’s take a deeper look at the three different women’s gymnastics uniforms.

“We break them down into three different buckets: the classic leotard, the full body unitard, and then the in-between Aitard,” explained Gymnastics Now’s Patricia Duffy. “The leotard and its counterparts are popular in women’s gymnastics to allow for freedom of movement.”

Named after the French acrobat Jules Leotard, leotards are what the athletes are mostly seen in. It is a skin-tight one-piece that covers the torso area and goes down into a brief-cut bottom. It allows the judges to have a better look at the gymnast’s techniques and posture.

The unitard, on the other hand, has the same upper design as a leotard but its legging-like bottom goes till the ankles, providing a full lower body coverage. German athletes Sarah Voss and Pauline Schaefer-Betz wore unitards in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

2025 world floor champion, Aiko Sugihara, came up with this “in-between” design, naming it aitard. It is a shorts leotard, basically a leotard with shorts instead of a brief-cut bottom. It combines the comfort of a unitard and the flexibility of a leotard.

While all three are legal in competitions, there are some differences in acceptance and why different gymnasts choose different uniforms.

Competition Rules and Why Gymnasts Pick Different Uniforms

While all three are approved, the World Gymnastics allows the aitard as long as it is “no more than 2 cm (a little less than an inch) below the base of the b*******.” The USA Gymnastics follows the same rules as the WG.

However, the USA Gymnastics also allows gymnasts to wear tights or shorts under or over the leotards, within the colors black, skin tone, or the same as the leotard. NCAA gymnastics doesn’t state unitards or aitards, but allows spandex shorts or long leggings during competition.

As for the athletes picking different uniforms, it’s mainly for comfort, confidence, cultural reasons, or just personal preferences. The WG or USA Gymnastics doesn’t influence the gymnasts to pick their uniforms.

With that being said, what’s your favourite one among the three? Let us know in the comments.

Follow Gymnastics Digest for more.

Written by

Deblina Roy